A developer has been hit with hefty fines following a lengthy battle with South Hams District Council over land it was hoping to develop for housing.

South Hams District Council (SHDC) sent a strong message to Blakesley Estates (Kingsbridge) Ltd—now known as Garden Mill Ltd—and its director, John Freeland, after a successful prosecution at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday, August 19. The Council made it clear: "We will come down hard on developers who ignore the rules."

The legal action stemmed from events in 2021 when the developer continued building on the Garden Mill development site, known locally as Locks Hill in Kingsbridge, without complying with planning permission conditions. Despite several court hearings and unsuccessful applications, both Garden Mill Ltd and Mr Freeland eventually pleaded guilty to breaching a temporary stop notice and an enforcement notice issued by the Council.

As a result, Garden Mill Ltd was ordered to pay a £100,000 fine and £40,000 in costs to the Council, while Mr Freeland was fined £76,000 and ordered to pay £80,000 in fees. They have 12 months to settle these payments.

Councillor Dan Thomas, the Council’s Executive Member for Planning, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, saying, “I am really pleased that this company and its director have been brought to justice. We tried to work with them, but they refused to comply. The local community has been rightly upset about what has happened at the site, and we have listened to them, relentlessly pursuing this through the courts. We hope this sends a clear message that we will not tolerate anyone who disregards planning enforcement notices and that we will take action.”

Blakesley Estates originally bought the land with planning permission for 32 new homes, contingent on a condition that no site clearance, preparatory work, or development would take place until a scheme was in place to protect trees on the site and limit the impact on a neighbouring Grade-II listed building. Despite this, the developer began work without adequate tree protection, prompting the Council to order a halt to the development. When work continued, further damage was caused to the site.

Eventually, construction stopped, leaving the land with partially built houses and an unfinished building site. The developer appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to restart work, but the appeal was dismissed. Earlier this year, an inspector concluded that the developer had not complied with the planning condition, resulting in the planning permission expiring and the land no longer benefiting from it.

The Council continued to pursue the company and its director through the courts and has now won its case. Councillor Thomas added, “This issue has dragged on for years, and we have worked tirelessly to bring it to a conclusion. We are facing a housing crisis, and we are keen for this eyesore to be resolved. The local community in Kingsbridge deserves a housing development that respects the area.”

A spokesperson for SHDC confirmed that, "The site is not under council ownership, so we cannot comment on its future at this time."